What is Tubular Breast Cancer?
Tubular breast cancer accounts for less than 2% of all breast cancers. Tubular breast cancer begins in the ducts that carry milk and then spreads to the surrounding tissues of the milk ducts. Tubular breast cancer cells look like tubes when examined under a microscope, thus named tubular breast cancer. Tubular breast cancer is less aggressive than invasive ductal breast cancer. It less often involves lymph nodes and shows a better prognosis (the likely course of the disease) to the treatment.Disease Etiology (Causes)
There is no known reason. However, certain genetic mutations and risk factors such as obesity, a family history of breast cancer (it may be hereditary or due to the same risk behavior that can cause cancer), previous exposure to radiation or radiation therapy, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, an unhealthy diet is believed to be responsible for the development of tubular breast cancer.Disease Epidemiology
Tubular breast cancer accounts for less than 2% of all breast cancers. Tubular breast cancer is commonly developed in the early fifties.Signs and Symptoms
Tubular breast cancer is usually asymptomatic, small in size, and usually diagnosed on routine breast examination as a palpable, hard nodule.Diagnosis
The following diagnostic tests and procedures can be used to diagnose tubular breast cancer, its size, and spread in the body.- Mammography ( X-Ray breast)
- CT-scan, MRI, and PET scan to see the size, site, and extent of the tumor.
- Skin biopsy
- FNA( Fine needle aspiration) or core needle biopsy; are diagnostic procedures in which a sample of cells from a mass or lump is taken using a fine needle, which is then examined under a microscope.
- Histopathological examination